Five Minute Friday - Mess

oh, I used to be scared of you.
scared of how chaotic you were, how crazy you could tip my world.
Just the fact that you showed up in the dirtiest, unrefined way.
You didn't like to be controlled, you always escaped in some other shocking way. Just when I thought I had everything tidy again.
you were raw.
volatile sometimes.
emotions spilling everywhere and the reality of who I really was, was on display.
I thought Mess meant the absence of Beauty.
the absence of Good.
even, the absence of GOD.
it just ain't so.
HE's the only one I know, who could look at a mess and call her beautiful.
Only one who could look beyond the hurt and pain and see the desparate beating heart.
The One Who can see a Daughter becoming.

that Glorious morning...

He draws a breath of earth's air once more.
He leaves the shadows, stepping from the cave into the dawning light.
He can feel the loved ones near. He is drawn to their presence, to proclaim to them the wonderful  beginning!
He moves through the garden. Breathing deeply of the air.
His delight is compete.
It is finished.
For all time.
The Loved Ones have been bought with the deepest price.
He hears her voice.
oh Mary, dear Mary!
where is He? Oh, what have they done? He hears her worry, her anguish. she loved Him deeply.
She that is loved greatly, will love greatly.
He draws nearer to her. He hears the broken sobs.
what have they done with the body? what trick have they played?
He is behind her now, an arms length away.
"mary, Mary." Gently, He calls her name, just as He has said it every time before. tenderly.
She is distraught. Blind to him.
what have you done with His body? just tell me so I can anoint it.
Mary! He calls again. If only she will look up, she will see Hope living and breathing before her. she turns to face Him fully. Her mouth is opening to question more. Her eyes grow wide. Wider yet.
my Lord? she whispers. Afraid to trust her eyes, afraid the merest breath will blow Him away.
My Lord?
I AM. He declares back. Grins as her face turns from mourning into gladness.
She jumps from her seat to touch Him, arms reaching out.
Not yet Mary. not yet. first I must return to My Father. His eyes begin to dance. then touch me all you want!
She casts herself at His feet instead. Bows her face to the earth. Would cry and kiss His feet once more...if she could.
how? she frames the word. Yet already her mind is turning over all He has said.
in three days, I will rise.
I come to seek and save the lost.
She looks at Him with wonder. Expectation. Realization growing in her mind.
oh can it be?
oh Mary, I have bought you! My blood is yours now. you will never be truly separated frrm Me again!
oh lord! my lord...how wonderful you are! 

Following Him

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.                                                               Hebrews 12:1-2

I am so thankful. For the brothers and sisters God puts in my life.
The ones who are already walking that hard and lonely road of follow Him.
Who know just how much courage it takes to shut ones eyes and grab hold of God's hand and say
"Ok, Lead me." And then keep walking.
Keep following.
Walk through the valleys and right up along the mountain precipices.
You open your eyes and see how close you are to the edge and really, you would fall if He didn't have your hand. There's no way you would make it trying to climb that in your dark.
Who see you struggling, see that you're slipping and you think you just might want to pull your hand out of God's and sit down awhile... Who holler back from where they are, "don't give up now! If you could just see what He sees! Take those next steps, He's going to uncover your eyes. You're so close! "
Don't. Give. Up.
Because He really does have you safe in His arms.
He really does love you.
He really is planning the best for you.
For a hope and a future.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.                                              Jeremiah 29:11

He really wants you as a part of His glory.

                                                               

Giving All

This is for me, now. This is for you, now. For me 5 minutes from now, 2 weeks, 10 years, forever.
It is now and always will be relevant. This preaching of Grace. This give-all and so have-all.
He is our All-in-All. Don't we say that? Do we really believe it? Do we really live it?

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? Luke 9:23-25

Will we give our all? Our really nothing but in His hands something?
Just saying "I am yours, only yours, nothing wavering."
Just day after day of follow. Morning after morning of "will you lead me?"
Hour after hour of listening for His prompting. Seeing with His eyes and being His hands and feet.
Loving people as He first loved us. The sinner, the righteous,(who is still a sinner unadmited).
From the very beginning, it was love. It was "Come and meet Me and so meet My Father."
It was repentance; the only bridge back.
Could we do this? "Come and meet my Father!" Come, Come, Come!
Love like He did reaching into all the broken places.
His love flowing from us can change the world.
Heart by heart.
Meeting their Savior for the very first time.
Will we meet with our God and learn His ways?
Rest in Him, be fueled by Him for His works?
Be a fountain of His Glory.

let me see you God

let me see you God.
let me see you in your fullness.
your glory.
amaze me.
bless me.
be with me.
so flood my being that i cannot contain you.
my arms are reaching to yours.
hold me in your grace while i walk this weary way.
as i stand alone.
rejected and scorned by the world, the people.
because i chose you.
i choose you God and all you have.
i love and adore you.
you amaze me.
you bless me.
 you fill me.
you have given me grace.
may i fall at your feet and kiss them?
may i love you with abandon for i have been loved much?
so much.

Hard Moments

Impossible is such a hard word.
you don't realize it till you're right in the middle of it.
impossible is just something that hasn't been done before.
so it looks scary. and fear paralyzes.
and you get stuck.
and if you are a perfectionist, if you've still got an ounce of legalist in you, well, you want to do everything right the first time, no mistakes and no falling flat on your face.
because the world's watching... at least, your family's watching, your friends, and whoever else is in sight.
yet, the last thing I want is the condemnation of the naysayers. the ones who wouldn't understand and wouldn't try to. yet my fear has already condemned me. I worry what they will say and do and in my mind I am already condemned by them and it hasn't even happened yet. my fear has done it...they won't have to.
  There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.
   who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
So will I walk in the flesh? walk condemned?
or stop and walk in the Spirit? stop and place my hand in His?
    For, if God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
No One. Not even Ourself. 

on my own, will I falter. I will fall, leaning on my own understanding.
its when I lean on Him. when I know that I am weak but He is strong.
when I know, without a shadow of doubt,
that the sufferings of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
when I know that He is taking me through a hard moment to unveil a heart more like His.
when He is making perfect. whole.
He is making all things beautiful in HIS time, for
every thing there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.

Write Your Story

Oh God, won't You write Your story on my heart?

I love this song.

It has become my anthem, my song. 

It's echoing in my mind and heart each day I wake.

I want God to be brilliantly, emphatically, without a shadow of doubt, all over my life.

I want to live the impossible story because only with God the impossible is no more.

I want them to see Him.

Look at me, but see Him.